Memorie sopravvissute, memorie reinterpretate. La riscoperta dell’antico sull’Esquilino

This article offers an analysis of the complex process of oblivion, survival, and reinterpretation of ancient memory on the Esquiline Hill. Although the urban landscape of Rome changed drastically during the delicate transition from late antiquity to the early Middle Ages, the various actors who succeeded one another in maintaining power in the medieval city never gave up on recovering memories of antiquity, sometimes reinterpreting or re-semantizing them. Analysis of the diverse sources available shows how, especially in times of political change, the link between memory and the contemporary city was continually reaffirmed. On the Esquiline Hill, this process led to the stratification of a veritable toponymic system, the roots and reasons for which can often be traced in this way and ultimately help us to understand the landscape of the ancient city.